The landlord of the building at 22nd and Mission streets that was destroyed in a fire in 2015 has been sued by an insurance company for the adjacent Vida condo building.
American Insurance Company alleges in its suit that Hawk Ling Lou, the property owner of 2578-2598 Mission Street, along with a land management company and a fire alarm company, neglected the property and thereby created conditions for the fire to occur. The suit seeks payment for damages in an amount to be determined by the court.
The extent and nature of the damage to the Vida building, which abutted the 22nd Street building at the time of the fire, is unclear. A property manager there said the only remaining effect these days is some lingering smoke particulate in the air ducts, which will be cleaned soon.
One person was killed and about 60 people were displaced in the Jan. 28, 2015, blaze that largely destroyed the 1907 building. Two subsequent fires further damaged the already burned building, and the city eventually issued an alteration order that instructed the owner to demolish it to street level. Since then, the lot has sat empty as its former tenants worry where they will go next.
Neither Hawk Lou nor the attorney for American Insurance Company immediately returned a request for comment.
Six other suits were filed against Lou by parties claiming to have suffered damages as a result of the fire. A confidential settlement was reached in one, while another appears to have been dismissed after a settlement. In one case, a trial date has been set for Dec. 18.
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